Cornett Named 2012 USA Curtis Cup Captain

Dr. Patricia Cornett, who has played in more than 50 USGA championships, said she was humbled to be named the Curtis Cup captain. (John Mummert/USGA)

Far Hills, N.J. (Feb. 5) – The United States Golf Association announced today that Dr. Patricia Cornett, 56, of Mill Valley, Calif., has been selected as the captain of the 2012 USA Curtis Cup team.

The Curtis Cup is a biennial competition between female amateur teams from the USA and Great Britain and Ireland, first played in 1932 at Wentworth (England) Golf Club. Cornett was a member of two USA Curtis Cup Teams, in 1978 and 1988.

“I am humbled to be selected as captain of the 2012 United States Curtis Cup Team and follow the legacy of Harriot and Margaret Curtis,” said Cornett. “The sisters’ passion for golf, their spirit of competition and most importantly, their social awareness, have always been an inspiration for me.” In 2010, the USA won its seventh consecutive Curtis Cup with a 12½ to 7½ victory at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., giving the USA a 27-6-3 overall record in the Match. The 2012 Curtis Cup will be played June 8-11 at Nairn Golf Club in Nairn, Scotland.

“I also am deeply honored to follow in the footsteps of those prior captains who have so ably led our American teams,” said Cornett. “My hope, as captain, is to not only fulfill the Curtis sisters’ charge, ‘To stimulate friendly rivalry among the women golfers of many lands,’ but also to inspire the newest generation of USA Curtis Cup players as to the importance and magnitude of this historic competition.”Cornett has played in more than 50 USGA championships, starting with the 1971 U.S. Girls’ Junior and including eight U.S. Women’s Open Championships. She was the runner-up at the 1987 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and was a semifinalist in that championship in 1992 and 1999. She also advanced to the semifinals of the 1976 and 1992 U.S. Women’s Amateurs. Cornett has played in the last three USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2009. Her career victories include the 1990 Women’s Western Amateur.

Cornett, a native of Salinas, Calif., earned her B.S. in biology from Stanford University in 1976 and earned her M.D. from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1980. She was an intern/resident in internal medicine at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco from 1980-83, and a Fellow in Hematology/Oncology at Letterman Army Medical Center from 1983-1986. She is a Professor of Medicine and serves as the Associate Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and the Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

She and her husband, Mike Iker, have two daughters, Annemarie, a junior at Amherst College, and Theresa, a freshman at Scripps College.

The USGA and Chevron have committed to using the game of golf to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
This commitment has led to the creation of extensive golf-focused STEM teaching tools, and has resulted in charitable contributions to support golf-related
programs through Eagles for Education

At U.S. Open Championships the Chevron STEM ZONE™ is an interactive experience highlighting the science and math behind the game of golf through a variety of hands-on exhibits and experiments.

The partnership has also produced educational materials such as the Science of Golf video series and a nationally-distributed newspaper insert which are provided to teachers as tools to enhance existing curriculum in schools. These lessons teach the science behind the USGA’s equipment testing, handicapping, and agronomy efforts.

Rolex has been a longtime supporter of the USGA and salutes the sportsmanship and great traditions unique to the game. This support includes the Rules of Golf where Rolex has partnered with the USGA to ensure golfers understand and appreciate the game.

As the official timekeeper of the USGA and its championships, they also provide clocks throughout host sites for spectator convenience.

IBM provides the information technology to develop and host the U.S. Open’s official website, www.usopen.com, as well as the mobile apps and scoring systems for the three U.S. Open championships. These real-time technology solutions provide an enhanced experience for fans following the championship onsite and online.

For more information on IBM and the technology that powers the U.S. Open and businesses worldwide, visit http://www.usopen.com/IBM

Lexus

Lexus is committed to partnering with the USGA to deliver a best-in-class experience for the world’s best golfers by providing a fleet of courtesy luxury vehicles for all USGA Championships.

At each U.S. Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open, Lexus provides spectators with access to unique experiences ranging from the opportunity to have a picture taken with both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open trophies to autograph signings with legendary Lexus Golf Ambassadors in the Lexus Performance Drive Pavilion.

Together, American Express and the USGA have been providing world-class service to golf fans since 2006. By creating interactive U.S. Open experiences both onsite and online, American Express enhances the USGA’s effort to make the game more accessible and enjoyable for fans.